Brisbane, Australia
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Five Australian women have obtained the right to sue Qatar Airways. Doha Airport Tarmac exams in 2020 after federal courts upheld their appeal.

The woman whose identity remains confidential was one of dozens of female passengers who were removed from the flight and exposed to physical examinations, according to her lawyers after the abandoned newborn was discovered at Hamad International Airport.

At the time, the Qatar government said the measures were taken after it was discovered that the baby girl was wrapped in plastic and buried in trash in a “shocking and horrifying attempt to kill her.”

Authorities said they acted to prevent “perpetrators” from leaving the country and apologized for the pain caused by passengers.

The incident sparked international outrage and was accused by the then Australian Foreign Minister of Japan as “a series of events that are violently disturbing and offensive.”

It is not yet clear how many women in total have been tested. Five Australian women were among 13 people surveyed from one Qatar Airways 908 flight 908 bound to Sydney. At the time, an Australian government spokesman said as many as 10 flights had been affected.

In a unanimous ruling on Thursday, three Australian federal court judges found that the former judge had made the mistake by “instantly dismissing” the relevance of the Montreal Convention.

“Our clients are excited about the outcome,” said Damian Sturzaker of Marque Lawyers, their lawyer.

“They are really continuing not only with what happened that night, but with the fact that there were no apology, no compensation, and the fact that it’s been happening for years by a series of state entities,” he said.

Article 17 of the Montreal Convention states that carriers are liable for damages or injuries sustained by passengers on the aircraft, or are liable for or under the time they are in and out of or out of.

The original judge found that in this case it did not apply. However, the female lawyer argues that “the journey never ended.”

“(Our client) was removed from the plane at a muzzle by an ambulance that was under the wing of the plane, where our group had an invasive physical examination on the plane,” Starzerker said.

“So of course, the journey was never finished and they were still from and were looking down.”

He said his client is pursuing a negligent claim against Qatar Airways. CNN contacted Qatar Airways.

The woman also sought to bring about negligence, assault, false imprisonment and battery charges against the airport operator, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA).

The ruling on Thursday put an end to their actions against the QCAA, but allowed them to coordinate aspects of their lawsuit against Matal. Sturzaker said the reasons for the QCAA decision will be considered and see if there is scope for seeking leave to appeal before Australia’s high court.

CNN reached out to lawyers acting for QCAA and MATAR.

Sturzaker said it is still unknown who ordered the search, and that would be in the information that lawyers are seeking when building their case.

“We don’t have complete insight into the level of responsibility. That’s one of the things we’re trying to decide when the case moves forward, as many of the documents we were sought weren’t provided.”

“We expect further evidence to strengthen the group’s cases against Qatar Airways and Matar,” he added.

After the incident, Qatar prosecutors said an unspecified number of airport security guards who are responsible for conducting exams on female passengers have been charged.

In the same statement, prosecutors said the baby’s mother was identified and charged with attempted murder. She left the country and was described as “Asian” nationality only.

In Qatar, genders other than marriage are still criminal. It is not uncommon for women to abandon their children to avoid prison terms.

Sturzaker described Qatar’s response to finding an abandoned baby as “unbalancedly different.”

“That’s not something you’ve seen at the airport you generally want to travel to,” he said.

The case is scheduled to go to trial next year.

CNN
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The fatal conflict at the Thai-Cambodia border welcomes a longtime US alliance with decades of experience against relatively young troops with close ties with China.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have been fighting territory since colonial power France painted the border between them more than a century ago.

Since the battle began on Thursday, more than a dozen people have been killed and more than 100,000 civilians have been reportedly displaced.

Here we look at the history and capabilities of both sides.

I prefer Thailand for numbers

Thai troops are dwarfed by nearby Cambodian troops, both staff and weapons.

A total of 361,000 active employees in Thailand are spread across all branches of the Royal Army. It’s three times more than Cambodia. And those troops have as many free weapons as their Cambodian counterparts can dream of.

“Thailand has a large, well-funded military, whose air force is one of the most equipped and trained in Southeast Asia,” the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) writes that in “Military Balance 2025” he watches the world’s military.

Meanwhile, the 2024 ranking of military capabilities of 27 regional countries by the Lowe Institute placed Thailand on the 14th on the 23rd in Cambodia.

The gap in Thailand is probably expected. Considering that Thailand has four times the number of people in Cambodia, and GDP is more than 10 times larger. Unlike Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, they escaped the devastation of wars that involved the region in the second half of the 20th century, and the European colonialism that preceded it.

Overall, it weighs on the Asian power index, with low factors including military, economic, diplomatic and cultural power, with Thailand ranked 10th, being considered the mid-force just behind Indonesia, ahead of countries including Indonesia and Vietnam.

Roy ranks Cambodia as a minor Asian force grouped with countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Laos.

Thailand has strong US ties and global outlook

Thai military has long been a major player in kingdom politics. The country has been ruled for many years by conservative establishments that include military, monarchy and influential elites.

According to the CIA World Fact Book, the general has taken power in 20 coups since 1932, often overthrowing the Democratic government, depicting the military as the ultimate defender of the monarchy.

Thailand is an ally of the US treaty that dates back to the signing of the Southeast Asian Collective Defense Treaty, also known as the Manila Agreement in 1954, according to the US State Department.

During the Vietnam War, Thailand hosted US Air Force assets at several air bases, including B-52 bombers, with tens of thousands of Thai forces fighting the Communists on the side of US-backed South Vietnam.

Strong relationships between Washington and Bangkok endure. Thailand is classified by the US as a major non-nat ally, giving it the special advantage that it has allowed it to enjoy access to decades of US support for its weapons program.

Thailand and the US Indo-Pacific Command co-hosts the annual Cobra Gold Military Exercise, which began as a joint training with the US in 1982 but has since added dozens of participants. According to the US military, it is the world’s longest-running international military movement.

In addition to Cobra Gold, Thailand and the US military hold more than 60 movements together, with over 900 US aircraft and 40 naval vessels visiting Thailand each year, the US Department of State says.

Despite all its history with Washington, the Thai military has recently been trying to maintain a more neutral approach to military policy, increasing ties with China over the past decade.

“With the help of countries such as Israel, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Sweden, I don’t want to rely on any country as a military supplier,” and also developed a “powerful domestic arms industry.”

According to IISS, the Cambodian army is younger than Thailand, which was founded in 1993 after the troops of the communist government merged with two non-communist resistance forces.

“Cambodia’s most important international defence links are with China and Vietnam. Despite its traditional reliance on defense devices for its reliance on Russia, China has emerged as a major supplier,” says IISS.

Beijing developed a naval base in Cambodia. According to international analysts, naval bases in the Gulf of Thailand can host Chinese aircraft airlines.

Cambodia and China completed the seventh edition of their annual Golden Dragon Joint Military Exercises in May.

The relationship is expected to “achiev in new levels and achieve new developments” this year, according to a February report on the People’s Liberation Army’s English website.

“China and Cambodia are iron-covered friends who are always supporting each other. The two troops enjoy unbreakable relationships and solid brotherly love,” said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Defense, at a press conference in February about the possible rifts in relations.

Cambodian military needs support.

“Cambodia currently lacks the capacity to design and manufacture modern equipment for the military,” the IISS report states.

The Royal Thai Air Force, backed by years of US support, is equipped with at least 11 modern Swedish Gripen fighter jets and decades of US-made F-16 and F-5 jets, according to IISS. Cambodia has no air force to talk about.

On the ground, Thailand has 60 modern Chinese-made VT-4 tanks and dozens of combat tanks, including hundreds of old US-made tanks. Cambodia has around 200 old Chinese and Soviet tanks, with “military balance” showing.

The Thai Army has over 600 pieces of artillery, including at least 56 powerful 155mm weapons and more than 550 towing guns over 105mm. According to IISS figures, Cambodia only has around 400 155mm guns.

In the air, the Army has a US Cobra attack helicopter and 18 US Blackhawk transports. Cambodia has only dozens of old Soviet and Chinese transport helicopters.

Hawaii-based military analyst Karl Schuster said he is the former head of the Joint Information Center at the US Pacific Command, but Thailand has a numerical and qualitative military advantage, while Cambodia has at least one.

“Topography prefers access from Cambodia’s territory to conflict areas,” Schuster told CNN.

And he said Thailand is expected to rely on long-range weapons as Cambodian troops are said to be laying landmines and booby traps in conflict areas.

“The Royal Thai Air Force is excellent, their special forces are excellent,” Schuster said. “I think Thais prefer to emphasize the air force and long-range firepower in conflict.”

The US recalls the negotiation team from Doha. In Doha, discussions are taking place about a ceasefire to end the war in Gaza, and the latest response from Hamas states that “it clearly shows the lack of desire to reach a ceasefire.”

Instead, the US will “consider alternative options to take hostages home and create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said.

Public responses from major US negotiators make the future of diplomatic efforts questionable. That contrasts with optimism hints about the prospect of reaching a deal expressed by the source, even after Hamas’ latest proposal.

“The mediators have put in great effort, but Hamas appears to have not been coordinated or acted in good faith,” Witkov, who traveled to Italy for consultations on a temporary armistice.

Israel also recalled a negotiation team from Qatar’s capital following Hamas’ response, but Israeli sources said it was not a sign of a crisis in consultations.

Instead, the team was called back because they had to make decisions regarding the status of negotiations that could not be done remotely, sources told CNN.

Bangkok, Thailand/Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fires along the disputed border on the second day on Friday, officials from both countries said they reported dozens of people had been killed and more than 100,000 civilians had been evacuated.

Tensions between Southeast Asian neighbours have been boiling for months in a contested section of the 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border, partially distinguished by former Cambodian colonial ruler France, near several archaeologically important religious sites claimed by the two countries.

Colonel Richa Soowanon, a deputy Thai Army spokesman, told CNN that Cambodia had launched a local time at 4:30am on Friday after it began firing using small and heavy weapons. The Thai army responded with artillery fire, he said.

The Thai Army warned the public to avoid the area, saying that clashes were taking place in two locations, Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces. It was reported that heavy weapons and rocket fires came from Cambodia, it said.

The force also warned that it was conducting bomb disposal operations from the Cantalak district, which was attacked by Cambodia’s Rockets on Thursday.

A video shared by Reuters on Friday showed Thai artillery fire, each absorbing shots of massive booms and smoke emitting shots.

The clash on Thursday saw the exchange of small weapons and rocket fires between the United States and its small neighbour, Cambodia, Thailand.

Thailand later scrambled the F-16 jet and bombed what it said was a military target within Cambodia.

The two countries also have close ties with China. China, together with the US, is seeking to de-escalate.

A video without date shared by the Thai military showed drones dropping bombs on what they said were several military targets within Cambodia. Smoke and flames erupted after a site that appeared to be in a forest area was attacked. CNN was unable to verify the video.

Video shows Thai drone dropping bombs at the Thai-Cambodia border

Video shows Thai drone dropping bombs at the Thai-Cambodia border

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Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health says that at least 14 people have died so far in Thailand, most are civilians.

And in Cambodia, at least one person has been killed and five people have been injured, according to Met Majfeekdi, a spokesman for Odal Jaqi provinces, which is adjacent to the borders of Thailand’s Buriram, Surin and Si Sakhet provinces. He added that as of Friday morning, the tensions were “still hot.”

“The exchange of battles…it’s still going on,” he said.

Cambodian officials accused Thai troops of using cluster ammunition at two locations early on Friday. CNN contacted the Thai Army for comments.

More than 4,000 Cambodia have been expelled from homes near the border, The Associated Press reported Friday, citing another Odal Sheen Chi official.

A video of Ode Meansey on Thursday shows villagers running away late at night, stuffing their belongings into a car and sleeping under a tarp.

As of Thursday night, more than 100,000 Thai residents had been evacuated to temporary shelters, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Video from Surin State showed evacuees evacuated to the university, placed on a mat on the floor and eating out from plastic containers.

In another part of the state, evacuated Ngaantra Planolam said she was “shocked” by the battle. “No one wants this to happen. I feel for the elderly and the disabled. It’s very difficult for them to come here,” she said. “Some people have cars, which is good, but it’s really hard for people who don’t.”

The recent flare-up comes after five Thai soldiers were injured in a mine explosion on Wednesday.

However, tensions have been building since May, when Cambodian soldiers were killed in a clash between Thailand and Cambodian troops. There, both sides fired fire in another contested border area of the Emerald Triangle, where Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.

Thailand and Cambodia have a relationship of both cooperation and rivalry. They share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border – primarily mapped by France when it ruled Cambodia – it was a source of political tensions, seeing regular military conflicts.

“Both Cambodians and Thais feel they are resentful of history,” said Chitinan Ponsudirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

“The Thais believe that the French took the land from Thailand and gave it to Cambodia. The Cambodians believe that this is an ancient civilization and ultimately this is their land.”

But it’s not an evenly matched fight. Thai military dwarf Cambodia is in both personnel and weapons. The 361,000 active duty personnel are three times more than Cambodia.

The US then classifies Thailand as a major non-nat ally, allowing Bangkok to enjoy decades of US support for its arms programme.

Thailand is currently broken with uncertainty. Prime Minister Paetong Tarun Sinawatra was suspended from duties in July after a call was leaked with Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen.

Thai military has long been a major player in kingdom politics, seizing power in multiple coups and often overthrowing the Democratic government. It portrays his status as the ultimate defender of the monarchy.

CNN’s Patrick Sarnsamak and Len Leng contributed the report.